


The Princess And The Hare

by EllenRipley8



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:06:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22762945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenRipley8/pseuds/EllenRipley8
Summary: Alternate universe that focuses on the huntress's past and what she may have encountered in Russia in the early 1900's. Also she meets a princess.
Relationships: Anna | The Huntress/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything other than my original character and crazy imagination. Thanks!

** Title: The Princess and the Hare **

** Chapter 1 **

**“What strikes one with a sort of awe is just this something inhuman in it’s character. It is like a visitation, like a curse from heaven falling in the darkness of ages upon the immense plains of forest.” Joseph Conrad**

Young Lady Sasha Orlov had cherished stories of fairy tales and knights. When she was a child her mother always read her stories about fabled lands with magic, heroes that would appear and save the damsel in distress. Sasha listened to these colorful stories before bed until she reached the age of ten. Once Sasha had turned ten, her mother began to teach Sasha to read and since then she could always be found with a book in her hands .Sasha believed in love at first sight and although she was in her early twenties she was still to be wedded to a younger Marquess in the spring once the autumn and winter season had passed. Her family held the noble title of Earl and the Orlov family had two children. 

Her brother was only five years younger than herself and he was to be wed to a beautiful bride who was a Marchioness. The future weddings were important to the noble Orlov family as their bloodlines and future titles would be of great importance amongst the Russian empire for generations to come, her brother would become a Marquess in time. Sasha although a young maiden was not completely naïve, she was aware her sole purpose was to produce offspring to her future husband, she had no doubt in her mind they would also come to love one another dearly.

Sasha had grown into a beautiful lady, with hair that was to the middle of her back with the color of chestnuts. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were the color emeralds which she always thought was amusing as the mansion they resided in was also a green color on the outside. The mansion lay close to a small village that attended and took care of the fields. The crops were grown for the other noble families including the prince and princess. Sasha had always loved the view of the fields where potatoes, grains, and sugar beets were grown. 

The mansion that Viscountess was raised in had two floors with white wooden trimming that lined the doorways and windows. The family crest could also be seen above the doors and there was a beautiful white railing that lined the balconies on the second floor. The mansion was large, but Sasha often spent her time in the library reading, often daydreaming of when she would finally be married to the lord; she always felt joyful and very lucky. Her mother not only taught her to read but also to write and often she would watch her brother play and get into mischief. Being the older sister, she had spent much of her youth taking care of her brother, he was brave but reckless and often came home injured. Sasha had read books about herbal medicines and took an interest in the subject. Sasha became talented in identifying plants that could ground up and aid with certain injuries. In time she learned to be able to identify more toxic plants and those often used in remedies from the local doctor.

Sasha and her family were sitting at the table for their dinner when the servants came rushing into the room interrupting their meal and startling the family. The servants were anxious as they began to explain how a large group of farmers were coming to the mansion and seemed hostile. Sasha had heard rumors of how the workers had been treated unfairly and had very little to eat and yet her father was in charge of maintaining the fields for the nobles of the land. Sasha had hoped he would have solved it before autumn, as winter drew close the workers had to have enough food for their families during winter, so they had strength to maintain their home during the harsh season. She knew of the rumors that her father was not a benevolent man, that he was cruel and tyrannical master, but she had never witnessed him be cruel to another being and ignored those rumors.

Sasha watched as the roughly around twenty men marched through the dining hall doors with pitchforks, sickles, and other weapons that could have been grabbed from the fields. The men were clearly angry, and they had smelled as though they had been working in the fields all day. The leader was a tall man and marched towards the end of the table slamming down both his hands. Sasha had stood up and moved quickly to where her mother and brother were standing, she held her brother's arm, making sure he wasn’t going to try and be brave. 

“Must be nice to have a plate full of food and plenty for your children. We have been working in your fields for years and can't maintain any livelihood for our families. We are tired of you just stuffing your faces while we slave away!”

Her father stood up and nodded, “I agree, it’s been a tough year and the House of Lobanov had recently expressed some troubles everyone has had with the crops this year. I ask you to please excuse my children and wife, perhaps there is a message I can deliver to Duke Lobanov.”

The man laughed before he marched up to the women and yanked the Countess by her hair dragging her away from the children, “You are concerned about the well-being of your wife and daughter? Do you know what unholy events have recently happened over the past few days? The half demon has returned! The beast has taken at least four of our girls, we will not stand by and watch our families fall apart while you stay safe inside your mansion!”

Sasha had seen it only for a moment, but her mother was terrified and although she did not express it through her actions her eyes were wide, and she was frightened. Her mother was looking towards her father for help and it was the first time in her life she saw panic and fear flash across her father's eyes. “The half beast hasn’t not been seen near our dwelling and the demon was last seen nearly eight years ago in the neighboring village.” 

“You are a fool! Nobody can kill the demon! The demon’s fire breath had destroyed the neighboring village and over half the people were killed by the giant demon's hand alone! It takes children and eats them and some of us have seen the demon stalking the nearby woods!”

Sasha’s father had been silent only a moment, but it was just a moment too long before the man threw Sasha’s mother towards the smaller man that stood beside him who withdrew a knife from his coat. “No please, please don’t hurt my wife.” Her father's plea was not what these men had wanted to hear, they had wanted solutions to their concerns about their families much like the situation her father was placed in the moment. The man quickly moved the knife across her mother's skin and Sasha screamed and pulled her brother closer to her as she could see and hear her mother's gurgled cries as the blood flowed freely from her throat. As the men tried to grab her brother Sasha tried to fight them away before her father's shout had stopped the angry mob where it stood.

“Take my daughter! Please you know where this beast dwells and if you offer a virgin maiden to this demon it will leave you alone. Take my daughter, not only does she have noble blood, but she has yet to be married. Please don’t harm my son, take my daughter and whatever food you find here and leave us. I will speak to Lobanov and we will fix this immediately!”

Sasha logically knew why her father gave her up so easily, her mother and father had a difficult time conceiving a child and for years they had thought he would never bear a son or a daughter. Although the choice he made was obvious her tears fell down freely at the pain in her chest the words had caused; of course, her brother was a future Lord for the Russian empire and held the family name. Sasha was at a loss of words as the men grabbed her roughly and she cried and pleaded with her father as they dragged her out the mansion and towards the farmhouses. She struggled with all her might and one of the men grabbed her and quickly threw a burlap sack over her head and she felt her arms bound in front of her at the wrists. The rope had been bound so tightly it caused her pain but that didn't stop her from struggling. 

Sasha was blind and scared as they dragged her and was forced to keep up with the mob. She felt like they had been walking for eternity and she began to shiver as the temperature changed and a cool breeze swept over her body. They continued walking until she heard the men's conversations with one another cease. The men all whispered and as she began to scream, she was hit upside the head with something heavy. She felt dizzy and helpless in this situation and as she struggled to breathe through the burlap sack, and it began to itch against her skin. Soon she felt her hands were bound against something rough and afterwards she heard nothing but silence. It took Sasha several minutes to calm down and for the tears to stop falling and after what felt like eons Sasha’s legs collapsed against the ground and she pulled against her binding, but it was no use, she wasn’t nearly strong enough.

Sasha’s face was irritated, and she began to lean forward to her bound wrists and remove the burlap sack from her head. Upon removing the burlap sack Sasha took a deep breath of clean fresh air but a different fear settled in her stomach and she began to feel it twist into knots. She was bound to a tree in the woods just outside a large clearing and in the center of the clearing there was a large pile of brush that appeared to be burned as a bonfire at some point. The surrounding area held several bones hanging from branches of trees and some animal skulls decorated the trunks of trees as well as several bloody pelts from animals. Glancing around her she noticed that inside the pile of brush there lay more bones and now as she felt another breeze swept past her body Sasha realized the sun was beginning to set. 

Sasha fought with all her might until her wrists began to bleed and it wasn’t until nightfall did, she give up on escaping. She was going to die in the woods either from a crazy wolf or some sort of monster. She felt exhausted and defeated, still shocked her father would so willingly give her to the savage men that stormed into their home. As her eyelids began to feel heavy and she began to nod off she began to hear a person humming a familiar tune. Her body was slow to react, and Sasha wasn’t sure whether she was dreaming, hearing noises, or if there was a person walking close by.

“Hello? Is there anyone there? Please help me!” Her heart began to race in hopes of someone being able to save her from the cold and the wild animals. What Sasha didn’t expect was someone to appear out of the shadows of the night next to the brush in the clearing, the moonlight revealed a being holding an axe and wearing a mask that hid half of their face. The humming didn’t cease but the creature at least stood six feet tall and was certainly staring in her direction and the rabbit shaped masked sent shivers down Sasha’s spine as the beast tilted its head. The mask was white at some point white but now it was covered in both dirt and what appeared to be blood stains and the patterns of the blood looked more like splash marks against the mask. What Sasha assumed to be this monster's hair was actually a black veil that was attached to the back of the mask, in a sense it was almost beautiful if it wasn’t so frightful and this monster wasn’t staring so intently at her.

Sasha felt a new sense of dread as the beast approached her; the clothes it was wearing seemed to be patched up with several different pieces of cloth. The shirt that was once white was beyond filthy, the shirt had the sleeves patched on and around the neck there was a few inches of grey cloth added around the collar. In the middle of the shirt a red colored pattern appeared and went down to the waist. Hanging off the waist was a utility belt that wrapped around the figure and attached to two more strips of leather that acted as suspenders. The loopholes of the utility belt held at least two smaller hatchets that she could see. 

Another belt was attached to a pair of trousers and the trousers were so worn she couldn't tell the original color; there were several areas where the trousers were torn and sewn back closed. On the left leg there was a white piece of fabric sewn to help keep the pieces together. Sasha couldn't help but notice the trousers didn’t quite reach the feet of the user and exposed several inches of the feet and ankles. There was bandaging around the bottom of the feet and around the ankles and based off the look of their feet, they have never worn a pair of shoes in their life.

The large axe being carried was a tool she often saw the workers use when they were building houses or barns. The axe head was tarnished and at the edge of the blade there appeared to be blood stains. The axe had a wooden handle that was well worn and near black towards the end where the wielder often held it. 

The tall figure approached slowly and again tilted their head as they crouched down and reached out and brushed her cheek and it was in that moment Sasha had realized several things. This beast was a person who had calloused hands and upon closer inspection this person was also a woman. Sasha truly thought this woman had to make a deal with a demon to be this tall and with arms strong enough to rip any person or animal apart with their bare hands.

The half beast woman stroked her cheek gently and her hand moved down to her neck and Sasha realized the creature of the night could easily use just one hand to choke the life out of her. Soon those rough hands moved from her neck to her wrists gently touching the ropes and brushing the rope aside observing the wounds. The woman placed the large axe on the ground and pulled out a smaller hatchet from her belt and cut the bindings of the rope. Sasha felt hope for the first time in several hours, she was finally free even if she had nowhere to go, no place to call home. She would leave and walk away and thank this demon woman. “Thank you for helping me.”

As Sasha stood, she felt her feet go numb and she just about fell to the ground, but the tall woman easily caught her. Perhaps this wasn’t the demon, from the sounds of it she easily killed about twenty men in the next village over, it had to be someone else. Sasha found herself being picked up by the woman and thrown over her shoulder, the motion seemed so flawless like she had kidnapped many people in her lifetime or perhaps even carried dead bodies. Sasha felt her instincts kick in and she tried to escape the woman’s grasp and no matter how hard she struggled or even hit her it didn’t seem to faze her as she continued walking through the forest at night.

Sasha had lost hope, there was no point in fighting and more than likely she would be killed and consumed by this tall savage. Sasha had only wished that they would grant her mercy and kill her quickly before consuming her flesh. Sasha felt the strong arm that had been securing her release its grip, Sasha not prepared for this fell to the ground. Sasha stood up and felt that strong grip had returned to her upper arm and now was dragging her towards a cabin she assumed that had once been someone's house from a very long time ago.

The log house itself was two stories and looked abandoned as the trees and plant life had completely taken over the wooden structures. Two trees seemed to have grown right through the roof and along the balconies of the cabin and the twisted overgrown vines were visible and a large stone chimney chute was visible. Sitting atop the balcony that wrapped around the house there appeared to several structures lined in a row but in the dark Sasha could not make out what they were. A visible light could be seen through some of the windows of the cabin and Sasha realized this old and forgotten home was this beast dwelling. Sasha began to struggle again, “Please I beg of you, don't kill me! Is there an entire family in there? Please just let me go!”

The hare masked woman slightly growled at her as she struggled and the taller woman tightened her grip on her arm practically lifting her up single handedly, the pain from such grip caused Sasha to settle down and she accepted her circumstances as she walked towards the open doorway of the house. Upon entering there were several things Sasha noticed right away, the tree had indeed grown through the house but had not completely destroyed everything. The inside was surprisingly warm and not just the temperature, it was taken care of and there was a table, decorations, and fabric that lined the wooden walls of the interior. The chimney was quite large, something Sasha would expect back at the mansion and upon further examination there were two large kettles that rested above the flames on iron bars.

Antlers of deer’s decorated several things and above the mantle where she noticed an old large framed family portrait that revealed what appeared to be a father and mother and their two daughters. In the middle of this house sat a large wooden dining table with several tools and dishes. Above this table was a handcrafted chandelier made out of several racks of antlers and candles that sat lit upon this chandelier. Sasha realized that inside the house was dark but there had been plenty of candles placed in the house including on the stairs that led to the second floor. Anna released her grip and laid the axe she carried on the table. She walked over to the large kettles and stirred one of them before walking back over to her and guiding her to a dimly lit corner of the house. 

Sasha’s eyes were immediately drawn to the straw that was strewn across the floor and there was a dusty red blanket that laid there along with a heavy thick rope and at the end of the rope lay a metal shackle. Both the rope and the shackle were mounted into the wall and it looked sturdy. As Sasha was being guided, she did the only thing she could think of that might prevent her from being chained to the wall where she knew she would never escape, she began to beg to the larger woman. The woman paused and as Sasha’s arms attempted to wrap around the tall woman she looked up towards the masked face, “Please don’t chain me up. I’ll behave and I’ll stay with you, just please don’t put me there.”

The woman raised her hand and stroked her cheek in response, before pushing her back in the corner and grabbing the shackle and regardless of how violently Sasha tried to fight the large woman placed the collar around her neck and snapped it closed. Sasha began to cry as the cold metal was placed around her neck and she had no idea why such a thing was happening to her. She just lost her mother, her family would never see her again, she would never be able to get married or have children, she was going to die alone. 

The demon woman stood up and approached the doors to the cabin and began to close the doors that were wooden and seemed substantial in weight, the doors were likely built with winter kept in mind. Sasha’s crying soon ceased as there was no point in wasting her energy in tears. She observed the hulking figure that moved around the cabin and sat down on the wooden bench at the table, it was then she realized that the figure began to sharpen her axe and hatchets. Tears began to build up in her eyes again as she thought about how brutal her killer must be. “Will you at least kill me quickly? Are you going to torture me? Are you really a monster?”

Sasha stared at the woman's back, as she sharpened the axe, she could see the outline of the muscles in her arms and Sasha closed her eyes as a response was never given to her. Looking around the rest of the house she observed the furs that lined the wooden rails above her, it seemed like wolf furs and more than likely deer. This woman appeared to be a hunter; such a feat shouldn't be surprising if this individual lived in the woods in the middle of nowhere. “Do you live by yourself? Is that your family in the portrait? Where is your family?”

Sasha let out a deep sigh, she had hoped the killer would at least talk to her before she died. She had hoped that somehow in this bizarre situation she would be able to escape, maybe this creature would simply let her go. She could just return home and her father would be so happy she was safe and sound, perhaps relieved, maybe he had planned her rescue to begin with which is why he went along with the town’s folktale. Sasha’s train of thought was interrupted as the large woman was now standing crouched in front of her and Sasha pressed herself back into the wall, hoping that she could somehow disappear.

The woman placed a wooden bowl and spoon in front of her of what appeared to be broth. It was still steaming, and she noticed the woman in front of her sat down, cross legged and began to eat her own bowl. The mask never moved and seemed like she had grown accustomed to it, perhaps she had been wearing it all her life or maybe she was cursed, and this demon was not entirely human. Sasha stared at the bowl of broth before her eyes were fixed back on her captor who devoured the entire bowl within minutes and apparently didn't even use a spoon. Sasha was curious if she was trying to fatten her up, she refused to eat and simply grabbed the old dusty blanket and pulled it over her body.

The woman tilted her head before picking her bowl up and trying to hand feed her, Sasha refused and the woman in front of her growled. The hare masked woman stood up and quickly drank the bowl of broth before standing and leaving Sasha alone. Grabbing the axes and hatchets the huntress left the cabin, slamming the door behind her with force. Sasha curled up in the corner pushing away the wooden blocks along with some other wooden toys. Pulling the dirty blanket up to her chin she leaned back against the wall and began to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When Sasha awoke, she screamed and tried to fight off her invisible assailants. During her state of panic, she stood up quickly in the darkness before the force on her neck caused her to fall back down onto the old wooden floor. Her breathing was rapid, and her hands closed together grabbing fistfuls of the straw as she was trying to grasp at her bitter reality. Her mother was dead, her father sacrificed her to a monster, and she was going to die in this monster's home treated like a dog and nothing more. Sasha shivered as she realized the door to the front was open and soon, she heard her own heartbeat beat wildly in her chest as freedom was only across the room. Ignoring her cold feet and ignoring the stiffness and dull pain in her body she grasped at the collar around her neck. It was opened by a key but maybe she could pry it open, she refused to die in this place.

It was dark in the cabin as the candles had blown out and Sasha could not stand to her full height without strain from the chain. The pressure on her neck choked her and she crouched back down to her knees before looking for one of the wooden toys. She might be able to break the leg off one of the animals, use it as a makeshift key. In her desperation she didn’t notice the figure sitting at the table looking at her. It wasn’t until she heard the sounds of soft footsteps, barely audible amongst the sounds of the forest in the background. Sasha glanced up and saw a shadow loom over her in the darkness and she screamed and tried to push the larger woman away who grabbed the metal collar around her neck and held her still. Sasha didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know how to fight back but most of all she didn’t know what was going to happen her.

“Please, I’m sorry. I just want to go home. Please, just let me go.” Sasha felt the woman stroke her cheek and wipe her tears away. When Sasha went to push her away the taller woman grabbed her wrist and Sasha winced in pain, forgetting about the wounds from earlier. The huntress released her grip and sat back down on the floor in front of her, tilting her head and simply observing. Sasha stopped crying, not quite sure how long this strange person had been staring at her. Her stomach growled and she slightly flushed, she didn’t want to give this person any satisfaction or anymore control. A thought passed through her mind, if this person was truly a merciless killer then shouldn't she be dead? Wouldn't this person not care about the injuries on her wrist or her well being? Sasha didn’t know what this person was capable of but there were ways to find out.

“I’m sorry, I am famished, could I have a bowl of soup to eat now?” Sasha watched in bewilderment as the woman stood up and grabbed the bowl from earlier and ladled some broth and placed it in front of her. Sasha slowly ate it as a new idea of escape occured, maybe this person wasn't crazy or insane, perhaps she didn't want to kill her. She could certainly pretend to be a slave or, become obedient and build trust. As she ate the soup, she swore the woman’s lips were upturned in a slight smile, but it was hard to see in the dark. After she had finished her meal, she thanked the woman and curled up in the corner, she was tired again and tomorrow would be another day.

In the morning Sasha’s muscles were still aching along with her shoulders from sleeping on the floor. She was not accustomed to such treatment, she missed waking up and having her morning baths as the maids prepared her clothing and breakfast. Her feet were filthy and and they hurt as she lost her shoes sometime during yesterday's events and they hurt as the exposed flesh had lacerations.The smell that drifted in the air caught her attention, it smelled faintly of smoke and once again light filtered in through the door that was left open. Sitting up in the straw pile she heard the giant woman's footsteps as she walked downstairs. Her mask was still in place and her eyes focused on hers and she smiled. 

Sasha felt her heart race and her stomach turn in knots; a wave of anxiety washed over her. The huntress approached her and crouched down, extending her hand and gently touching her hair. Sasha looked at her mysterious keeper and was curious if this person could even speak. “What is your name? I am Sasha Orlov.”

The woman crouched down in front of her and her smile disappeared, and she tilted her head. Her eyes scrutinized over her for a moment before she raised her hand and pointed to herself, “Anna?”

Her voice was awry and perhaps it sounded that way because she lived alone in this cabin. Her voice was deep, and as the smile broke out across her face the huntress pointed a finger towards her before slowly speaking,” Sasa?”

Sasha had laughed at the poor attempt of her name and it caused the huntress to reach for her axe, startled and confused. “Sasha, try saying Sa-sha.”

The huntress tensed up but tilted her head and once again pointed to her,” Sasha.”

Sasha smiled, thankful to have a name at least to call her captor. “Well done Anna.”

At the use of her name the tall woman smiled and leaned over her brushing the brown hair off to the side as she unlocked the metal collar off her neck. She stood up, her hand never releasing it's grasp on her own and Anna brought her over to the table. On the table there rested several pieces of smoked meat and what appeared to be a handful of lingonberries. Sasha felt uneasy about the situation, but she felt such relief without the added weight around her neck. As Anna sat down Sasha sat beside her and watched as Anna used her hands to pull the meat apart and ate it hastily. Observing her she realized that Anna might not be the demon or a beast, she certainly lurked in the woods and observing her movements and household in the daylight she realized this woman lived here by herself and more than likely lived here for most of her life. Anna’s interactions with her were slow, cautious, as if she didn’t know how to interact with another being. Looking back at the corner she had slept in her body trembled, she was not the first person to be imprisoned.

Sasha never imagined the chance that Anna would remove the collar; she just needed a way to convince Anna to not place it back on. Focusing on the scraps of meat in front she slowly took a bite, her stomach growled in response and she ate the berries having recognized that it was a common berry that grew in this region. Sasha felt out of place without a plate or utensils, the table itself looked worn and used and Sasha was curious if Anna even noticed another person sitting at the table beside her. Anna had devoured a leg of the smoked meat before standing up and bringing over an old pail, placing it on the table she offered a ladle to Sasha, the liquid dripping onto the wooden surface of the table. Sasha realized it was water and gladly drank, surprised as it tasted clean. Anna drank several ladles before grabbing Sasha’s hand and walking outside, picking up her large axe off the table.

Stepping outside the cabin Sasha finally realized she had not seen the dwelling in the daylight. The outside not only looked abandoned, but the entire property was decorated in random bones and skulls. It was at this time she also noticed that there was a walkway on the second floor where three tanning racks sat with different sizes and colors of fur. In the forest only a few hundred feet away she noticed another wooden structure. Sasha thought it was a small hut until she noticed the smoke emerging from the top, could it be possible she had a smokehouse? Sasha’s family had a smokehouse, but it was built of stone and not wood. Sasha winced as she was now more aware of the pain in her feet. Anna brought her to a pile of logs and a large stump where she cut wood. 

Anna released her grip and picked up a log placing it vertically on the stump before raising the axe and bringing it down slicing the log in half with little effort. Anna approached Sasha and moved her in front of the stump placing a log down and handing her axe. Sasha felt a variety of emotions and thoughts when the axe was placed in her hands. Sasha had almost dropped the heavy object which caused the huntress to smile. Sasha realized she was wielding a weapon, but she doubted she would be able to use this to kill the woman that stood before her. The thought of killing her captor for some odd reason made her feel abhorrent, she might not be capable of killing another human being.

Raising the axe, she attempted to bring it down onto the log, missing the log entirely by several inches. It was then she heard a soft laughter emit from Anna who approached her and removed the axe from her hands. “It’s not funny. I’m great at other things.”

Anna scooted her over and continued to chop through the logs and Sasha was unsure of how long she stood there and watched. The muscles in Anna’s arm flexed and she was curious on how this woman came to be in her present state. Sasha had never seen such vigor; her suitors never didn’t come close to the power this woman radiated. The only men she had seen were intimidating and most of them either worked the fields or were carpenters. Sasha was pulled out of her thoughts as Anna approached with a few chopped pieces of wood and placed them in her arms. Sasha almost dropped them as she became unbalanced. Anna steadied her and removed a few from her arms before carrying them towards the smokehouse. 

As Sasha followed, she noticed the woman's stride was long, perhaps it was because of her height. As she approached the open smokehouse, she realized it was small although there appeared to be at least four animals hanging. Sasha felt Anna remove the wood from her arms to throw it on the fire in the middle. Sasha could tell two of these animals were deer, which explained the meat she ate earlier. The other two animals she could not identify, perhaps a wolf or dog, although the other four-legged creature was massive. Anna pushed Sasha out and closed the door, sliding the lock in place.

Sasha looked at her curiously as Anna stopped and looked into the forest, staring into the distance for a few moments. Sasha looked out into the forest and could not see anything out of place or hear anything unusual. “What do you see Anna?”

Anna glanced back down to her and patted her head before walking back over to the logs and grabbing her axe. Sasha followed her and it wasn’t until Anna grabbed her hand firmly did, she realize they were going into the woods. It was here that Sasha noticed a change of behavior, the woman became taller, more alert. Her left hand grasped the axe tightly while the other was firmly grasped around her own. Sasha had been hoping some sort of communication would be made, if this woman could speak it would put her anxiety at ease. The forest was not her home and she felt out of place but most of all endangered. Watching Anna move through the forest, she came to the conclusion it was not only her home but her territory. Right now, Anna seemed to be on top of the food chain living amongst the wild beasts and killing them to survive. 

Sasha felt the hand release its grip and for a moment Sasha panicked, was Anna going to leave her out here by herself? Isn’t this what she wanted? It was then her mind was able to focus on the sound of the running water and she cautiously moved forward to see the creek and Anna crouched down investigating what appeared to be tracks left in the mud. Anna glanced back towards Sasha and nodded before grabbing her and assisted her in sitting down. As Anna submerged her feet in the water, she realized how cold it was. “I hope you are not expecting me to jump in. A woman such as I will need a warm bath.”

Anna ignored her and rinsed her sore feet before standing and walking away and disappearing in some shrubs. Sasha began to canvass her surroundings and she concluded it would take some time before she could even survive one day alone in the forest. As Anna emerged from the forest, she held several leaves of a plant she recognized. It was a plantain plant that could be found in most parts of Russia used by healers in smaller villages. Anna began to chew the leaves and Sasha logically knew what the next step was but was still taken back that Anna knew of the herbal medicine. Her focus was brought back to the present when she felt the chewed up smashed into the heel of her foot. Sasha remained still and let the taller woman cover her feet and once they were done Anna scooped her up and flung her over one shoulder. 

“Really I can walk.” Sasha let out a sigh as she knew there was no point of arguing, Anna did what she pleased regardless of anything she said. Once they were back at the cabin Anna gently sat her down back inside and walked her over to the table, she crouched down and began to look at her feet, gently moving it from the side and tilting it up as if she were examining a foreign object. Anna huffed before standing up and patting her head and walking upstairs. Sasha couldn't even fathom her captor, she had no inkling on how this woman thought, how she was able to survive, or what she would do next. She was just as wild as the rest of the surroundings and it made Sasha uneasy. She would need to wait for more opportunities like the present one, where she wasn’t shackled to the wall and left alone. She needed to be on her best peak performance to run through the forest and into the nearest village.

Sasha sat at the table for what felt like ages before curiosity won her over. She stood up and walked over to the bottom of the steps and looked upstairs. She didn’t hear or see her and the amount of space that remained upstairs had to be small due to the tree that grew through the cabin. Taking the steps her heartbeat began to beat wild, she shouldn’t even try to come up here, it could easily anger the giant woman. Taking the first few steps she continued until she reached the top, needless to say it was anticlimactic. There was a space large enough for a makeshift bed and that's exactly what she found. A bed that didn’t look much more comfortable than the straw she laid upon last night. The only difference was the fur blankets, there were at least two large fur blankets. Sasha turned her head and the only other thing up here was an open doorway which should lead to the balcony. Approaching slowly, she heard the soft humming of the lullaby as she stepped outside the door. There Anna sat humming, there were racks of hide and what appeared to be several crude tools and a large log. Anna was using what appeared to be an Axe head to remove something of excess on the hide. She seemed to be lost in an accustomed rhythm. 

Sasha was curious if Anna was aware of her presence as she didn’t want to startle the busy woman. Anna paused for a moment, “Sasha.” It seemed like it was the only word she knew how to speak, and she patted the makeshift stool next to her.

Sasha sat down and watched as Anna kept busy, looking at the surrounding forest around her she became aware being up here didn’t give any sight advantage of the forest, only the space around the house. The rest of the day was uneventful, Anna went back to the smokehouse and used a large kettle to boil the hide she worked on. At night she was back to being chained and it was in the morning did she finally realize what Anna had been doing. She had finished the hide and was now measuring her feet and cutting the hide in pieces and sewing it together using another piece of an animal she assumed. Once the product was finished, she had a pair of boots prepared for Sasha to wear.

Sasha was overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude, this woman just spent two days making a pair of shoes for her. Sasha smiled at Anna and hugged her quickly, “Thank you, it was very considerate of you.” Anna smiled beneath the mask and patted her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and leaving kudos. I appreciate all of you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thanks for reading guys, any and all mistakes are my own. I Don't have a beta reader, so feel free to point those out to me. Hope you are enjoying this, tell me if you are.
> 
> Also Trigger Warning for the this chapter.

Trigger Warning (Attempted Rape)

Over the past few days Sasha felt miserable, she wasn’t sick or hungry, it was the fact that she had not had a bath in the last few days. She watched every morning as Anna goes about her regular routine. It seemed to be taking care of the smokehouse and hides were part of an everyday basis. Sasha helped where she could, but it seemed the huntress thought she was mostly useless, so Sasha spent time picking berries in the surrounding area as long as she didn’t leave the sight of Anna. The first time she left Anna’s side to go forage for anything Anna found her swiftly and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, nearly picking her up off the ground, growling and looking almost feral. Sasha offered her the berries hoping she would calm down and not place her back in the house. Anna took some time, studying her before releasing her tight grip and dragging her to stand beside her while she worked.

From that day forward she would whistle and when she got too far Anna would let her know normally by some sort of movement of her body, again speaking was something she clearly had no intention of doing. Sasha found herself having lots of one-sided conversations with her and to be honest, Sasha was beginning to find the woods tranquil. Sasha knew she had to leave soon, she had to be sure her father and brother were ok. She kept daydreaming someone would rescue her but knew that was far from the truth. Her father would rejoice with happiness that his only daughter had returned, and she could have the maid run warm baths and eat fruits, vegetables, and breads to celebrate her return. Anna seemed to eat only meat, every day she would have meat and sometimes boil the bones for broth. Everyday Anna made a trip to the creek for water in the early morning and sometimes later in the afternoon. Soaking the hides was something that often required a lot of water.

Sasha raised her head as Anna placed a hand on her shoulder and held the bucket for water. The two journeyed to the creek and Sasha let out a sigh of defeat as she began to remove her clothing. The dress she wore could hardly be recognized as nothing more than rags that covered her body. Anna tilted her head in response to her actions and Sasha couldn't help but smile at the reaction. “You can always join me. Heaven knows when the last time you washed that dirt off your body.”

Sasha wouldn’t lie that she wasn’t curious about the taller woman's body. Did her body resemble that of a man? Was it slimmer like that of a woman? Sasha always had more questions than she did answers. Clearly it was her first time seeing another woman nude because she simply sat down and her eyes, although hidden behind the mask, were clearly focused on her. Sasha somehow did not feel embarrassment, more than likely because her maids bathed her every day for her entire life. Sasha would have given anything for a bar of soap, it would help her feel clean and improve her mood. She didn’t take long to scrub her body the best she could and when she reached the bank for her clothes the huntress grabbed her hand, staring at her from her place on the ground.

“Sasha.” It was muttered softly as her hand traced down her bare shoulder and arm. The hand that touched her was dark in contrast against her pale skin. Sasha froze unsure of what Anna was thinking, she began to pick up on that the Anna often used her name when she was emotionally compelled for some reason or another. Anna’s hand was large in comparison to hers, it was also rough, calloused with years of work and survival. Anna stood up and her hand trailed back up to her neck, her head tilted, curious. Sasha felt flush and when Anna grabbed her and pulled her against her own body, she craned her neck down lower nuzzling the side of her head. Sasha let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when Anna released her. She quickly dressed and grabbed the bucket of water and walked back to the cabin with Anna.

It was later in the day when Anna had grabbed her hand and led her back to the house and Sasha thought nothing of it, Anna often touched or made gestures in order to communicate, although it frustrated her to no end. She was aware that the only way that would ever change is if she tried to take the time to teach her. Sasha was pulled out of her thoughts when she was being escorted to where she slept. “Wait, there's still daylight outside. Anna please, just help me understand what you need!”

Anna handed her the collar and she glared at her as she placed it around her neck. She crossed her arms and sat down on the floor as Anna grabbed her axe and her holster for her hatchets. “I could help you. I can do more than you think, you just have to show me how.”

Anna crouched down and patted her head before walking out the door and slamming the door shut behind her. Sasha was left alone with her thoughts and they often gravitated towards her freedom and her family. Staring at the wooden toys she grabbed one and observed it carefully, noticing how this toy was carved from wood. Turning it over and looking at the bottom she noticed an engraving that read, “Love Mama.” Sasha found herself staring at the family portrait above the fireplace. What happened to this family? What happened to Anna? Rummaging through the rest of the toys she found a wooden mask, definitely the perfect fit for a smaller child. Her hands brushed over the detail and she was curious if the mask Anna wore was one that her mother made for her. Sasha placed the toys back in the pile and laid down on the straw pulling the blanket over her, she didn’t need to think about this right now.

Sasha awoke with a start when the door to the cabin flung open. Sasha placed a hand over her chest as she tried to settle her heart and watched as Anna shut the door behind her. It was then she noticed that her axe had fresh blood coating the blade along with her outfit. Anna placed her axe down on the table and grabbed a metal rod and used to stir up the coals of the fire. Satisfied it was alright she turned her attention towards Sasha who looked exhausted and confused. Anna took one last glance towards the fireplace watching the embers of the coals burn before walking over to Sasha and removing her collar. Sasha was scared, scared that Anna would her heart beating wildly. Anna had never unlocked her at night, scared the noble woman would probably leave, which was a correct assumption. Anna grabbed her hand and brought her upstairs, to the makeshift bed. When Anna removed her belt along with her hatchets, she pulled Sasha down onto the bed with her. It was here Sasha noticed for the first time there laid a smaller table that held a few other masks. As Sasha laid down, she turned on her side trembling slightly with thoughts of her newfound freedom and darker thoughts that Anna was somehow going to harm her.

The smell of iron was strong, the huntress killed something, but she wasn’t sure if she went out to murder a whole village. As the strong arm wrapped around her waist, she began to hum the lullaby once more. It took Sasha a little while to decipher the lullaby she was humming; due to the fact she was not singing the words. It was Bayu Bayushki Bayu, a lullaby warning children not to sleep at their edge of their bed or a wolf would come and drag them out to the forest. Once the huntress stopped humming Sasha laid still listening to the sound of her steady breathing, making sure she was truly asleep. Sasha was aware that the taller woman woke up early in the morning to do various tasks. So, Sasha waited, her body to restless to sleep when she had an opportunity to leave. Sasha was not sure how much time had passed until she began to remove the arm that was wrapped around her waist. She was scared, fearful that her movement would wake the wild woman from her slumber. Fortunately, she did not and once the arm was removed, she quietly and slowly made her way downstairs. Opening the door took some effort but she did so and once she took a few steps outside the house she began to run.

She wasn't sure which way the village was, but she knew for sure nothing was in the direction of the creek they travelled to everyday, so she would take her chances going the opposite way. Her feet carried her through the forest, she ran as fast as her legs would take her and couldn't help the small laughter that escaped her. She was free, finally free, no longer did she have to be shackled like a dog, no longer did she have to be treated as a child. She never looked back and continued weaving around the trees, her breathing was rapid as she didn’t dare to stop until she felt safe. Her legs began to hurt, and she did not want to stop until there were miles between her and the cabin. Anna was fast, she had not seen her run, but she knew that the woman had to be an excellent hunter to bring down wolves and deer with nothing but axes or her hands. Her father had firearms along with most of the noble houses. It was a luxury they could afford and was required when the Prince had a yearly hunting tradition. Sasha had enjoyed spending time with the ladies while they ate sweets and drank wines or juices imported from other countries during these occasions. 

Sasha slowed her pace walking quickly. Catching her breath and she wasn’t sure how long she was alone in the forest when the sun emerged from the horizon. She would not stop until she reached a village or road, if she could just find a road she would know where to go from there. The sun rose higher in the sky almost to the highest point in the sky before she heard the bustling noises of a village. Horses and carriages along with the sound of people living their everyday life. Sasha sprinted forward until she broke from the tree line smiling and feeling jubilant and lively. She crossed the dirt road towards the homes and market stalls. When Sasha stepped amongst the other people, they eyed her suspiciously and it wasn’t until a larger man approached her cautiously did someone finally speak to her,” Child you look like you’ve been lost for a while? Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Sasha felt overwhelmed with emotions, tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. “Sir thank you. I’m doing alright but I’m afraid I was lost for a few days. My name is Lady Orlov, I’m not quite sure if my father was searching for me but I just wish to return home.”

The man eyed her as if he was deciphering if she was speaking the truth before he laughed and as the crowd gathered around, she felt her stomach drop. “Sasha just had her remains buried two days ago. You are not the lady of the house; she was given to the beast that kills little girls.”

Sasha stood tall where she was, she refused to be doubted by these people. “I am the person that I claim to be. If you cannot help me then I shall return to the mansion by myself, telling the Lord how his workers refused to help his only daughter.”

The crowd fell silent except for a few whispers and finally somehow cried out, “She is a witch!”

“Baba Yaga sent her from the forest!”

“She must be given to the demon or our children will go missing.”

The man grabbed her roughly by the arm and Sasha felt a sense of Deja vu except this time she fought because she refused to go into another cage. She fought the man as wildly as she could, successfully scratching his face. The man slapped her across the face hard and the crowd tried to grab her. She got up quickly and began to run back to the woods and as she ran past the crowd, they picked up rocks and threw them at her, several hitting her body while one solidly connected with her head causing her to stumble and fall. 

“Kill the witch!”

“Stop her from going back to Baba Yaga’s hut! She will curse us all!”

Sasha stood up and ran back into the woods, she didn’t have the energy to cry but she felt like she was in a horrible nightmare. The feeling of despair was overwhelming as her legs carried deeper into the very woods she tried to escape from. When Sasha became exhausted, she leaned back against a tree, the tears falling down her face. She had nowhere to go, no place to call home. She was dead to her family and no one cared to think otherwise. Her head hurt and she simply wanted to lie down and give up. 

“Girl you can’t run forever! We are coming for you!”

Sasha was bewildered they were still chasing her, and she quickly rose from the ground having no other choice but to go deeper into the forest. Her legs were hurting, and a man jumped out from behind a tree in front of her and grabbed her arms, holding them tightly in place and smiling at her. She tried to fight him, but another man emerged carrying his rifle and whistled at her as his eyes trailed over her body, “Well look what we caught here.”

“Please let me go! I meant no harm!” Sasha began to feel nauseous as the men stared at her with lust filled eyes. 

The man slapped her, and she was thrown on the ground. The rifle was placed next to the tree leaning against the trunk as he kicked her in the ribs. Sasha gasped in pain and couldn't breathe and coughed trying to catch her breath as she curled her body. The pain she felt was overwhelming and she felt dizzy barely able to focus on her surroundings. The other man grabbed her arms with one hand placed them above her head as his other hand began to push up the remains of her dress. Sasha stopped fighting; it was her destiny to suffer although she wasn’t sure why.

“See fighting just makes this more difficult. Now Lady Orlov was a virgin, let’s see if that’s true.”

The other man just smiled at her as he began to undo the buttons on his trousers. Sasha was startled when blood splattered over her face as a hatchet was now embedded in the man’s skull. The head of the hatchet hit with such a strong force to the side of skull that it caused one of his eyes to pop out of the socket and dangle before the body fell to the ground. The other man was just as alarmed and reached for the rifle, he didn’t make it far as another hatchet flew and became embedded in his back. His cry echoed in the forest and Sasha quickly scrambled away from the man, trembling in fear. Her brain was unable to process everything around her and time seemed to slow down. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears and she watched as a tall demon emerged from the trees, a large axe in hand, her tall form radiating fury. Sasha watched as she raised the large axe and with one solid swing down, the man with the hatchet in his back ceased moving. His head almost tore completely off as she raised the axe back up and repeating the motion to man that she knew was already dead. The force behind the swing held more than enough force to cut through the bone and tissue causing his head to roll away from his body. Sasha turned over and threw up, the act of violence too much for her.

She glanced back up at Anna, her body still trembling knowing full and well she was going to die next. She betrayed her, and the way Anna’s body was tense and the way she held the axe with such force her knuckles were turning white. She would not be able to calm her down or talk any sense into her. “I’m sorry Anna. It’s all my fault. I had to try! I can’t accept that my family threw me away like a common whore!”

Sasha cried and she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Anna tilted her head up and brushed her tears away with her thumb, the same reaction she received when she found her in the woods. Sasha leaned forward and hugged Anna crying into her shoulder finding the situation ironic. She ran away from this woman, but this person may be the only one who cares for her. Anna hugged her tightly before standing up and retrieving her two hatchets. Anna extended her hand to Sasha and helped her stand up and observed the dried blood on her head along with bruising on her face and eye.

Anna held her hand as they travelled for the rest of the day back to the cabin. One of the first things Sasha noticed was on one of the tanning racks there was a new hide hanging. Last night Anna hunted which could explain why she slept soundly. Sasha felt a sense of guilt, this woman although bizarre had done nothing but show her kindness. She had even been gentle with her, after seeing her easily kill those men Sasha felt safe beside her. Walking in the house Sasha didn’t pay attention as Anna led her upstairs back to her bed. Sasha looked at Anna surprised when she sat down, Anna crouched down beside stroking her face and running a hand through her hair. Everything hurt and Sasha closed her eyes at the gentle touch, and she began to lightly sing the lullaby she often heard.

Anna paused and Sasha opened her eyes and smiled at her, tears welling up in her eyes. “Anna, I am so grateful towards you. You had so many choices and yet you choose to take care of me. You could use some work on your social skills, but I realize if anyone else found me that night I'd be dead by now if not worse.”

Anna raised her hand over her mask removing the mask entirely causing Sasha to gasp in surprise. Sasha leaned forward gently caressing her cheek and as dark brown eyes stared at her intently. Sasha held her face in both hands and leaned forward placing a kiss on her forehead and rested her forehead against hers. Anna closed her eyes enjoying the gentle touches. Sasha became aware of why she wore the mask, Sasha could tell half of her face was burned due to the jagged scar pattern, the scar tissue was raised and pale while other parts of the skin were shallow and darker in color, a clear indication of scars from a fire. Sasha could tell that this injury was something she had received many years ago. Her hair was kept very short, maybe she had bugs, but it certainly looked like she cut her hair with her hatchet. Sasha ran her hand through the short ebony locks, her hair no longer than her fingers. Anna rested her head in her lap content to just sit there and let Sasha do what she please. “I’m sorry Anna. I don’t know your story, but I'll stay beside you. I’m going to trust you; I’m simply putting my life in your hands.”

Sasha knew very well what those hands were capable of, but she might be the only person in this entire country who knew just how gentle she was too. Maybe she would never be able to understand everything about her but if stayed beside her long enough perhaps she would find out. Anna placed her mask on the small table and laid down in the bed, her dark eyes expressing concern, “Sasha?”

Sasha smiled through her tears, guilt pulling at her heart, “I’m right here Anna. it’s ok, lets rest. I can hardly move.” 

Sasha closed her eyes holding onto the larger woman. She reached for the fur blanket pulling it up and over the two of them smiling as Anna pulled her closer to her body. If Sasha wanted to live, if she wanted to survive, then she would need to adjust to her new lifestyle and home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning- Implied Rape.

Chapter 4- Trigger Warning (Implied Rape)

Sasha’s feet hit the forest floor hastily and without affliction. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her entire body was struggling to maintain her pace but the fear of the men capturing her prevented her from abating her gait. It was then she saw the fog roll into the forest, it was if the night sky blanketed the forest floor, as if the fog didn’t want her to be aware of her next step. The shadows of the trees began to move, and the branches extended out of the shadows, darker than fog that surrounded her, the shapes created reminded her of spider legs. It was then the shapes of the shadows reached out entangling her onto the ground and coiling around her torso and limbs. There was no escape, and as the men caught up with her body was trembling and she repeatedly screamed towards her assailants. She tried with her might to escape the arms that kept her entrapped, but Sasha ceased her movements and her body froze with fear as one of the men raised the rifle to her head and pulled the trigger.

Sasha awoke with a startling scream and shot up in bed and immediately tried to struggle away from the large arms that wrapped around her body. Sasha was crying when she felt those arms gently embrace her, she had nightmares throughout the night and each one became more twisted and darker. Sasha let out a sigh and began to relax and let Anna pull her down onto her chest, her powerful arms wrapped around her waist. Sasha closed her eyes and became aware of the sharp pain from her side and the dull pain that ached throughout the rest of her body. Sasha didn’t want to sleep, and she felt guilty for waking Anna again. She didn’t expect to have nightmares and was curious if Anna had ever had night terrors, Anna seemed strong and it seemed unlikely that anything could scare the formidable hunter. Whenever she thought about Anna, she often reflected on the tales of Marya Morevna, a brave and courageous female warrior who fought battles leading an army of soldiers. 

“Anna, I’m sorry. It was foolish for me to even think I could return to my normal life. You would think after my father gave me to those men, I would have the perception of where I stood in my father's eyes. It was imprudent of me. I just didn’t know what to do, what was I supposed to do? I still don’t know what I am doing here Anna. Why would you care about me?”

Sasha let out another sigh as Anna began to run her hands through her hair. This woman stirred up many emotions that Sasha couldn't even discern them all. Fear was most certainly one of them, she never knew why the woman carried so many hatchets but with yesterday's display of expertise she now had her answer. The technique, though deadly, was also ancient, before the Great Tsar’s had even claimed the throne. They now had guns and it was no longer just swords and bows which is what she felt Anna could relate to. 

Yet even when the world was changing it seemed this forest and the creations within it would not be touched by what dwelled outside. Anna was in harmony with the forest and her own survival. Sasha speculated that the only time the huntress would be placed out of discord was when people tried to intervene with her life or her territory. Sasha frowned at her musings as she considered herself one of those people who breached Anna's world. She felt the strong arms pulled away from her body as Anna sat up in bed and reached for her mask. 

“Anna? Could you please stay with me? Even if it is just for a brief time?” Sasha felt panic overwhelm her and the pain from yesterday's events prevented her ability to move or even attempt to get out of the bed. Anna leaned down and kissed her forehead before trying to smooth out some of the tangles in her hair. Sasha closed her eyes and it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep once more.

When Sasha awoke it was to complete silence with the exception of the natural world outside the home. She sat up slowly before removing herself from the bed, walking downstairs she found the door closed and the sunlight revealed it was still midday. Sasha sat down at the wooden table ladling a cup of water for herself. Her stomach growled and she slightly flushed at the sound. Although she no longer resided in the mansion, she felt the desire to still conduct certain manners and behaviors she had cultivated throughout her entire life. It was difficult at the beginning, living what she felt like a peasant’s life, but truly everything revolved around one’s survival. Every event leading her to this very moment in the present involved the farmers, who were scared for their survival and their families, their daughters, and Anna had even shackled her to the wall for both their survival. 

Sasha jumped and shrieked when the door slammed open and she fell off the bench while scrambling to return to her feet. She glanced at the tall figure and rolled her eyes when Anna tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t suppose you could be a scant gentler. Of course not, look at you, some deity created you with great strength.” 

Sasha smiled when Anna helped her stand and once again, she felt her cheeks flush. Anna pulled her into sudden embrace and eagerly said her name as she revealed what she brought inside. Sasha could tell they were clothes and if she were to really focus on the fabric not only did the fabric colors look familiar, but she could see some blood stains. The cloth had been cut and sewn together to reveal a unique palette of brown and gray fabric sewn into a sarafan. It was then Sasha realized how little cloth remained to what she was wearing.

Sasha was swept with several overwhelming emotions, but she smiled when Anna touched her cheek. Everything made sense, those whom she killed she scavenged everything she could off their bodies. Sasha had never worn such a garment, her outfits along with any other noble were more focused on European fashion. Sasha attempted to slip into the dress when she realized she was in too much pain and couldn't accomplish the task. She watched as Anna removed her mask and assisted her. Once it slipped onto her it fit well enough, not tight enough to be restricting and not too large where it would cause issues in the forest. Sasha then felt those large hands resting on her waist and she turned around and smiled at Anna. “Thank you, I guess I have been in need of new clothes and I'm sorry I have been sleeping the day away.”

Anna tilted her head at her and furrowed her brows as her focus returned to Sasha’s face and slowly the words left her mouth,” Sasha, safe. Anna help.”

Sasha’s mouth upturned into a smile and although it was only a few words it meant Anna was trying to learn. It meant she cared enough to try to put her thoughts into speech. It also meant Anna deserved so much credit for abilities. No one would ever see her strength, ever see the struggle, or even the competence of her survival skills. A laugh tumbled off her lips and Sasha couldn't help but pull the taller woman into an embrace. 

“I know you will keep me safe. I feel you would protect me with your life and one day I hope to return the favor. I’m going to do the best that I can for you Anna. I will work or hunt, whatever it is I need to achieve to help us survive out here.”

It took Sasha a few days to heal before she attempted to help Anna with the daily errands. Today Anna was doing something she had not seen before, she had brought in what appeared to be animal fat and threw it one of kettles and began to cook it. Sasha was curious as Anna left and returned with willow herbs, a purple flower with a very long stem that had many flowering tendrils on it. Sasha became fascinated with the process and although it took some time Anna had melted the fat and strained the liquid from the remaining clumps of fat. The smell wasn’t pleasant, but she assisted Anna in stripping the flowers and leaves from the stems of the plant. Anna had used cloth to tie the stems to a branch and dipping them in the pot. Sasha observed as this process took hours and after dipping the sticks repeatedly, they eventually created tallow candles. The process was tedious, and boorish. 

Sasha had never even thought about the candles that were scattered around the cabin. It wasn’t like Anna could go to the market and purchase candles, she had to make everything from nature like her family's previous generations. Anna allowed her to assist in this task and although her candles were not perfect, she felt she accomplished something and felt proud about it. When they sat down to have dinner Anna was humming her favorite melody, or perhaps the only one she knew. 

Sasha was enjoying the atmosphere of their nightly routine but paused for a moment when Anna had ceased her tune. Sasha watched in confusion as Anna slipped on her mask and ran outside with her axe. Sasha quickly slipped on her boots before stepping outside of the house into the black of the night. Hesitation swept over her and she crossed her arms across her chest to fight back the shiver ran through her body and the feeling of anxiety buildup. The moon offered some light, but she was not a creature of the forest, she wasn’t capable like Anna who probably had the same eyesight of a Tiger, prowling in the dark of the forest to search for prey.

Taking a few more steps into the woods Sasha felt a sense of Deja vu and she looked at the branches of the trees and swore the shadows moved. She began to tremble and her breathing all of a sudden became more rapid, she was safe, she knew she was safe. Her thoughts were clouding her judgment until she heard a scream in the forest. Immediately Sasha forgot her fear and ran towards the direction of the sound, concerned for the safety of Anna. Anna certainly didn’t scream but fear and adrenaline pushed her forward and as she was running, she was doing her best to avoid trees and bumping into others, the shrubs often scratched her as she didn't see them. Sasha came across a faint flickering light, the orange flickering of light in the darkness was almost like a beacon, Sasha knew it was a torch. People were out here, and she still felt her heart pound in her chest, she needed Anna to be safe. As she ran closer to the scene ahead, she was grabbed from behind, a hand immediately placed over her mouth. Sasha panicked but calmed down as she recognized the taller figure. 

Sasha focused back at the scene ahead of them and gasped in horror. It seemed there were at least five men from the town standing in a circle around what appeared to be a little girl, two of the men were holding torches while the other three were violating her. The men were simply carrying on their conversation as if this event was a regular occurrence Sasha felt sick and when she glanced at Anna, she could see the anger across her features, her demeanor changed reminding her of that day when she had killed those men to save her. When Anna stepped toward the scene Sasha reached for her arm but didn’t make contact, “Anna, please be safe.”

Anna didn’t even look at her, simply continued to walk forward before disappearing into forest shadows. Sasha crouched down by the tree focusing on the awful sounds of the night, the men were talking, and It made more sense to Sasha now why the girls around the villages were disappearing. It was easier to blame a monster from Hell then it was to imagine any person committing such an awful act. These men didn’t know there was a monster to truly fear, the monster that lurked in these woods and Sasha watched as the two men holding torches went down first. Sasha was thankful she couldn't witness the massacre of these men; she was alarmed however when gunshot rang out in the night. Sasha stood up and slowly made her way to the scene.

The torches were still glowing in the dirt when she saw Anna loom over the smaller girl's body. Approaching slowly and cautiously she could see the girl’s skin was discolored, at some point she had been strangled and perhaps that was a blessing. Anna growled before taking her larger axe and slamming it down into the men's bodies. She turned back to the little girl, still growling and full of rage that she punched a nearby tree.

Sasha was unsure of how to proceed, the whole situation was awful no matter how she looked at it, “Anna, please look at me. Anna I’m right here, please don’t hurt yourself. We couldn’t do anything to save her, it’s not your fault ok, it’s not your fault.” Anna focused her attention on her before hugging her. Sasha felt an overwhelming amount of sadness as she felt Anna’s tears fall on her cheek. Anna was strong, and yes, she could be a monster, but she was still human, and beings of nature had feelings, and emotions, and she knew some of these natural forces drove Anna. Sasha held her tightly until Anna calmed down and picked up her axe and hatchets. She scooped the smaller girl into her arm before walking deeper into the forest where Sasha silently followed. Sasha remained close to Anna despite the fast pace in the middle of the night, she felt a slight paranoia that more men would emerge and begin attacking them or losing Anna and getting lost in the forest just to wind up like the little girl. 

When Anna finally stopped Sasha took a moment to take in her surroundings. They were standing in a clearing of trees, and there may have been a small built structure that resided here but what remained was mostly pieces of stone. Within the soil stood a few stone markers, markers she would see in a graveyard. The moss and plants had overgrown some of the stone markers, the ground was upturned causing some of the markers to be askew. There were also two stone crosses, more than likely this had been a family resting place many years ago. What also caught her attention was the wooden crosses made with what appeared to be sticks and banded with hide strips. Sash stood amongst the grave site taking notice that the wooden crosses outnumbered the stone markers and crosses. There were roughly ten wooden crosses handcrafted. Sasha walked over to Anna who placed the smaller girl on the ground before grabbing her hatchet and chopping off a sturdy branch from a nearby tree. Sasha watched as the taller woman began to dig into the earth. Sasha crouched down and placed her hand upon her forearm, “Let me help you. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’m here with you now Anna.”

Anna held her hand for a moment before handing the branch to her. It took most of the night to dig a hole deep enough that Anna was satisfied. Anna placed the girl in the ground and the two of them covered the grave with dirt. Anna simply sat there without speaking a word or making any kind of sound. Sasha was not an expert at reading Anna’s emotions, but she could tell she was upset and more than likely sad. She wasn’t sure if Anna understood such emotions or if she knew how to react to them. Had Anna been loved by her family? Did she even have a family at some point? Sasha sat down next to her leaning against the taller woman’s frame. As the sun rose Sasha realized just how old this gravesite truly was and she wondered if this family’s grave site belonged to Anna’s family. 

Anna stood up and approached one of the few intact stone crosses and rested her hand on top,” Papa.” Anna approached a wooden cross and Sasha noticed the many rocks placed around this expanse. Anna crouched down and touched the earth, the earth that had been undisturbed for so long you would have never guessed bodies were buried here. “Mama and Sis.”

Anna stood up abruptly her hand resting on one of her hatchets, she looked fierce in that moment with the sun just rising above the tree line, the shades of yellow and red in the background outlining her resilient figure. The blood-stained mask gave her a savage aura which was a part of Anna, just like the benevolent side she had witnessed over her time. At this very moment Sasha understood so much more about this complex woman, she could never fit into a regular society and more than likely thought the world outside the forest was filled with grotesque people, All she had witnessed was evil acts and not a single soul was able to stand beside her. Sasha approached her slowly and grabbed the other hand not holding her axe and she gave Anna a small smile. 

Anna glanced down at her as if forgetting she existed and Sasha raised her mask up, smiling at the brown eyes that stared back down at her. Sasha kissed Anna’s cheek before lowering the mask down,” It’s ok Anna. It’s ok to feel angry or sad. I feel you might be too altruistic for this world you live in. I’ll stay beside you no matter what, I am your companion Anna.” 

Sasha crouched down at the crosses and closed her eyes,” O God of spirits and all of flesh, give rest to the souls of thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Amen.” 

Prayer was all she had to offer, and it felt like the right thing to do. Anna’s entire family was in heaven above and she wondered if a sickness took them all away. The intact stone cross did have a date, he died many years ago and she guessed that Anna had been only a few years old. Why was Anna the only one left, why did she have to bury her family alone? Someone had to have known this family. Sasha was pulled from her thoughts when Anna’s hand grasped hers, she didn’t let go of her hand when they began the journey back to the cabin. It wasn’t until Sasha walked in with Anna did, she realize how exhausted she was from the night's events and she now knew the family burial site was a long distance away. 

Once inside the cabin Sasha sat down and took several ladles of water before making her way upstairs to bed. It was comical that she has grown accustomed to sleeping in the bed made of straw, furs, and fabrics. She was Lady Orolov, her bed was made with duck feathers and her sheets were made of silk transported from the country of India. She would call any person living like this a simple barbarian and yet here she was. Life was ironic and deep down; she knew in her heart she was meant to be here. The Great Spirits work in mysterious ways and right now all she wanted was sleep. Pulling the heavy fur over her she closed her eyes slowly feeling the edges of unconsciousness slipping away. It was then Anna had decided to sit down not so gently next to her, disturbing her from sleep. 

“Sasha, please.”

Sasha opened her eyes and glanced back towards Anna who was smiling at her holding something in her hands. Sasha had no choice but to take the item Anne pushed towards her and she focused on what she was holding in her hands. The book was so old and worn she could not tell what the cover might have looked like at one time. The book was also smaller than any other book Sasha had come across. Opening to the first page she did notice the corners of the pages were bent and the pages were no longer white due to the dirt that covered the pages. The book was something Anna may have used quite frequently at some point of her life. Her eyes were fixated on the drawings as she realized this was a children's book. Looking at Anna she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with the book in her hands. “Did you want to read this?”

Anna shook her head and pointed to the pages with the drawn animals and other colorful objects, each object was next to the letter of the alphabet. Sasha was amused and as she turned to the fourteenth later Anna recognized the picture, “Bear.” Of course, she would recognize that one. Sasha gently placed the book down and the other woman looked at her oddly before she pulled down Anna into bed with her. Sasha cuddled against the taller woman and closed her eyes, “I promise to read to you every night, but let us try and get some sleep.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the morning Sasha woke up and sighed as she sat up. Anna was not in bed which did not surprise her in the least. Sasha began to fall into her morning routine as she fetched fresh water, stoked the fire in the smokehouse, and added some logs before picking berries because she enjoyed eating those. She shivered against the gentle breeze that swept through the forest, reminding her of the autumn to come and the winter that would soon follow. She crossed her arms to keep the warmth from leaving and her concentration fell onto her surroundings. It was quiet and peaceful in the morning, Sasha enjoyed listening to the starlings sing their tunes in the canopy of the spruces and firs of the forest. She hummed a small tune before seeing a very familiar figure on the balcony amongst the tanning racks. Sasha smiled and noticed further ahead in the woods there was a bushel of black berries still remaining and was curious if she could make a jam with them. What would she do with jam? Sometimes she pondered If she could sneak into a town and would be able to steal cooking ingredients. Sasha walked over to the bush and sat down on the ground, the fact she dreamed about pilfering from a village was awful, but this was her life. She often had daydreams and living in the forest didn’t change that, often her dreams were about a particular tall woman and a regular life with her back at the mansion before all of the tragic events. She would do her best not to ever go back to the villages, it amazed her how quickly people jumped to conclusions and violence. Sasha picked a few more berries until the rustling of the bush caused her to look up.

Sasha felt her heart tightened in her chest as the brown creature towered over the bush. As she looked up and stared into its black eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine and goosebumps emerged on her skin. The fear was overwhelming and as the bear stood on its hind legs, she realized this was nature's creation. The wild animal was large, the long claws on its paws made her realize she was prey and not a predator in this world. It was over, her life would be over in any second because nature was cruel yet somehow balanced. Sasha stood up at some point and she began to move backwards, unable to take her eyes off the creature, she bumped into something and before she had time to react, this object pushed her away and she fell back down. She watched in fright as Anna didn’t have time to completely avoid the giant’s claws and she saw blood began to pour down Anna’s right arm. Even with Anna standing she still looked small compared to this brown beast. It wasn’t her first bear Anna had to kill, as she now realized where the furs she slept with emerged from. The bear lunged forward and Sasha couldn’t believe how quick this animal was, surely it should move a lot slower being so large and alas, this was not the case. Anna seemed to dance around it and she maintained her distance from it. The bear ran towards her and Anna quickly threw a hatchet at the brown creature but it didn't seem to even have an effect on the bear other than making it irate.Sasha almost screamed as an ugly rumbling emerged from the bear as it bellowed in anger towards the tall huntress. Sasha stumbled towards the hatchet on the ground and wondered how she could help Anna defeat this animal. As the bear lunged again its claws tore into the tree and Sasha could clearly see this mammal was made of muscle. She felt a sense of urgency as the blood kept flowing from the huntress’s arm and she could clearly see the strain the injury had on her arm. Sasha had been practicing with the hatchets but not enough to even qualify her as competent. Sasha raised her arm and focused and waited to get a better view of the animals’ head. When the opportunity arose, Sasha threw the hatchet with all her might and the hatchet successfully bounced off the bears leg.

The bear seemed to huff before turning its head toward her and the beast seemed to roar as it stood up on its hind legs again, saliva pouring out of its mouth. Anna was quick and used her large axe, both arms in full force behind her swing, as she cut into the animals’ back leg. The bear bellowed in pain as it turned, it’s long arm and claws stretching out to land successfully on her arm. The bear charged Anna and she raised the large axe and swung once again. Sasha screamed as the bear landed directly on Anna and she immediately ran over, fearing the worst. Sasha didn’t bother to check if the bear was still a danger to herself, but she felt relief wash over as Anna was climbing out from underneath the animal. Sasha helped her stand and glanced as the two-handed axe was deeply embedded into the bears skull. Sasha immediately hugged Anna strongly, crying into her chest as she held her close. She was overwhelmed with emotions and couldn’t envision herself in this world without Anna beside her. 

She felt those strong hands on her face and the metallic scent that hung in the air was strong. Sasha looked at Anna who was covered in blood, and she waited as Anna retrieved her Axe’s and they walked back to the cabin. Anna immediately tried to walk upstairs but Sasha forced her to sit down,” This might be a normal thing for you, but I need to see how badly you are injured.”

Anna tried to stand but Sasha pushed her back down and a growl left Anna’s mouth until Sasha accidentally bumped her arm and Anna pulled away from her. Anna pushed Sasha back and Sasha wasn’t concerned because she hardly budged, knowing full and well if Anna didn’t want her close, she could push with a lot more force. “Listen Anna, I’m sorry. You’ve probably taken care of yourself for a very long time, but I would like to help. I feel my knowledge with treatment of wounds is one of the few skills I possess, I can help you.”

Sasha began removing the leather straps that held the belt to her hatchets. Sasha removed all the belts before Anna reluctantly removed her entire outfit before sitting down back down on the wooden bench. Sasha turned around and immediately felt the heat rise to her cheeks as this was the first time, she had actually seen the huntress exposed. What had Anna been doing most of her life to earn such a sculpted body? She wasn’t sure, but one thing she knew was that she had never seen any other woman’s body like hers. On her stomach there were soft smooth tones of her abdominal muscles. Her arms were strong which were evident through her biceps and even on her back there was muscle definition. That wasn’t the only thing that caught her attention, the scars that covered her body varied in shape, size, and depth. Some of the scars were long and faint, others were darker areas of flesh, and a few were angry and raised on her skin. Sasha gently stroked the long scar that ran along her back and Anna turned around and faced and Sasha. Sasha looked up at Anna and removed the mask from her face and smiled gently as her hand rested on the large angry burn scars that stretched over from her shoulder towards her breast. Sasha was amazed she had lived whatever trauma and injury that occurred to her. These wounds without medicine or even a doctor would have been painful and easily could have been infected. Ignoring her hands-on Anna’s chest she wondered if her torso resembled more of a man, her chest was still that of a woman’s but the muscle seemed to cause the breasts to be small and unnoticeable amongst her other body features. Sasha focused on the deep wound that was still bleeding in her shoulder. Her forearm seemed to have been scratched, along with her ribs but not nearly as deep as the wound on her shoulder. 

Sasha went upstairs and retrieved some small pieces of fabric and took what Anna used to sew fabrics or hides together along with a needle. Sasha walked back downstairs and dipped the fabric into the bucket of water and rinsed off the wound. Sasha sighed as she knew this would take time to heal which meant restriction of movement. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do. When the men chased me, I felt paralyzed with fear, but I didn’t immediately think of death. When I saw the bear, it was all I could see and visualize. I just knew I was going to die; because it's an animal, it belongs to nature and has no morals and can’t be reasoned with. Yet somehow you saved me yet again.” 

Sasha took the needle unsure of how long it had been used and dropped it onto the fires edges and waited for a few minutes before removing it with the fire poker. She heard conversations of a news article about how a scientist used heat to sterilize tools for hospitals. Sasha focused on threadlike substance she was using and realized, this was more than likely tendons or sinew from an animal. Sasha ran her hand through Anna’s short hair, causing the tall woman to glance up at her; her dark eyes twinkled with curiosity and Sasha almost felt guilty she was about to cause her pain. Sasha leaned down and kissed Anna’s temple, “Ok, I have no clue how you are going to react to this but I'll do my best to make it quick.”

Sasha ran the needle through an edge of the torn flesh, and she watched as Anna frowned and focused on what Sasha was doing. As the needle went through the skin on the other side and she pulled the flesh closer together Anna growled lightly. Sasha was thankful the taller woman didn’t move or become violent during this process and she was able to place a nice set of stitches in her shoulder closing the large gashes. It would scar but not look nearly as devastating as the other injuries she had received. Before Sasha could pull away Anna grabbed her and pulled the brown-haired girl down into her lap. Sasha let out a small gasp and blushed as she was held against bare skin. The huntress cradled her in her lap and Sasha trembled in excitement as she pressed closer against warm bare flesh. Anna rested her head in the crook of Sasha’s neck and inhaled deeply nuzzling into her. “Sasha, mine. Safe.”

Sasha’s green eyes locked onto Anna’s brown ones and she could see a primal emotion reflected back towards her. Sasha realized her feelings may be more than just gratitude towards the woman who was holding her. Sasha was hesitant when she leaned in closer to the wounded woman, and as she felt the warm breath dance across lips, she felt overwhelmed with sentiments and lost her courage and leaned forward and placed a kiss on Anna’s cheek. 

Sasha was flushed with embarrassment and took Anna upstairs and laid her down in bed, not bothering with her clothes as she would need to check up on the wound. Sasha went outside and began scavenging for several herbs finding what she needed, her nerves having settled but she was very alert and cautious to her surroundings now. Sasha had found the plant Anna used for her injured feet several weeks back and harvested several leaves. Upon returning she had a mixture of plants that she grinded together and kept some of larger leaves to lay directly on the wound as a dressing. Once she applied all the herbs Sasha headed downstairs making sure Anna wouldn’t try to get up. 

Sasha went outside and stared at the corpse of the bear, she knew bears weren’t the only predator in the forest and needed to get rid of the body to not attract predators. It took the noblewoman most of the day to remove several pieces of raw meat from the bear and hook the meat in the smokehouse. The fur was ruined and cut horribly, and she dragged it upstairs through the cabin towards the tanning racks. Anna tried to help several times, but Sasha refused, she only allowed Anna to try and guide or gesture through the steps to get it onto the rack for drying. At the end of the day Sasha was exhausted and dirty it didn’t stop her from retrieving freshwater and quickly rinsing herself off. She felt nervous about Anna being injured more than her being naked. She went to bed, reading Anna another story from the few children's books she had. It didn’t take long for the two to fall asleep in one another's arms. 

The days went by quickly for Sasha who worked to do everything Anna had taught her. She became more cautious while out in the woods, it wouldn’t do her any good to be eaten by a savage animal. Anna seemed to have been sleeping which Sasha was hoping that she would so her wound would heal more quickly. After a week however Sasha noticed Anna was running fevers and the skin around the wound was starting to become red with a slight yellowish tint on the edges of the wound. The herbs probably helped slow it down, but it didn’t stop the infection. She could tell Anna was in pain but the woman either didn’t have the strength to care or was good at ignoring it. The next morning Sasha kissed Anna’s forehead before leaving during sunrise. She wore her sarafan and found a cowl from the recently stripped bodies. She maintained a steady pace through the woods until she reached the road. Her heartbeat increased as she heard voices from the village, the smell of manure from the farms was strong, flashbacks and thoughts entered her mind of all the things that could go wrong. She felt far away from Anna, far away from home, and she dreaded not being beside her during her time of recovery. 

Sasha slowly made her way onto the road, keeping her face covered until she reached the market stalls of the village. She sat beside the tavern and stables amongst some of the poor workers who didn't have a home. She glanced up every now and again but was mostly keeping her head down and making sure she blended in with those around her. Upon sitting down next to another man, she wasn’t sure if he was sleeping or dead, but she remained close enough to be associated with him. She observed the people coming and going, making sure her face wasn’t exposed, she highly doubted anyone would recognize her as the noble woman she once was. This village was not the same one as the previous one she found herself at but she couldn’t help but feel like she didn’t belong here. Sasha had an overwhelming fear of being discovered and hung from either a tree or burned at the stake. Although she should have been concerned over her own life, she was scared to leave Anna alone. She stood up as she heard about the local man who created remedies for the sick, this was a medicine man for the local villages. Sasha followed him through the village until she found the right building. Sasha waited patiently outside and once the lanterns were turned off, she listened through the walls until she heard a bedroom door close. Sasha felt nervous and her imagination ran wild with all the negative outcomes that could occur if she was found. Sasha opened a small window to the building and the front of the store had several herbs and bottles. Sasha also noticed the supplies of gear for the farm and horses. Sasha found it difficult to figure out what she needed in the dark, so she threw several bottles in the cloth garment she had. As she was leaving through the window a man grabbed her from outside and threw her down on the ground.

“Ya think a dirty rat is going to take from this village without paying? You’ll pay one way or another, you hear me boy.” The man pulled her back to her feet and she glared at him as her face was exposed.

“A girl are you? Well, we mostly have boys around since there are hardly any girls, what with the town being cursed. You’ll do just fine.” Sasha smiled before she removed the knife from the belt she borrowed from Anna’s collection. She raised the knife and quickly struck down on the man's forearm. He shouted in pain and pushed her away, giving her enough time to scramble to her feet and run back towards the woods. Eventually she heard more people yelling and shouting but the sounds soon faded in the distance. Sasha didn’t stop running for a while and slowed down once she felt comfortable, she was alone in the woods. Her walk in the woods was flooded with worry, guilt, and fear. She felt small being outside in the woods by herself and she became more curious if Anna was scared as a child while being alone in these woods. How could a child survive in this environment on her own? Sasha felt exhausted both physically and mentally and walking around at night kept her on high alert. After some time, she found the cabin, and as she entered she ran upstairs, relieved to see Anna had remained in bed. Her fever looked like it progressed further, Anna looked pale and sickly. A lot different than the woman who just killed a bear with nothing more than an axe. Sasha realized Anna drank all the water and had to obtain more which took longer than she had hoped. Once she had returned, she helped Anna drink some water before sorting through the bottles she had stolen, hoping that she grabbed something useful. Luckily, she did, she found a common tonic used for those who were ill. Sasha made sure Anna drank all of the medicine and she made sure she ate, not wanting the woman to lose too much of her strength. Sasha laid down by Anna’s side holding her hand until she fell asleep. 

The next two days caused Sasha a lot of anxiety and she made sure to stay inside and close to Anna as frequently as possible. She continued the daily errands and she made sure that Anna drank plenty of water and helped her whenever she needed. Those two days Sasha read a lot to brown eyed woman, going over the alphabet and words with Anna, even though she felt she was delirious for most of it. The third day and Sasha noticed the red fading away from the deep wounds on her shoulder and Anna’s fever seemed to have reduced. Sasha continued using herbs on the stitched-up wounds. Anna soon became her energetic self, constantly wanting to help Sasha and at times Anna growled at her when she disobeyed, Sasha felt like she was simply not used to being told no. Sasha began to rise early in the mornings with Anna if only to spend more time with her and at some point their evenings routines changed. They spent more time in their bed together cuddled up closely and Sasha reading her books. Sasha began to learn that Anna liked physical attention, her hair being played with, her arm being stroked, her hand being held. 

It was becoming more like a home to Sasha, not work, not just a place to survive, but a home and relationship that would continue to grow. While the two women were huddled together a gunshot and yelling soon caught their attention and as the two of them got out of bed they heard the front door to their cabin slam open. Sasha watched as Anna rushed downstairs with her axe in hand. 

“There is the monster! The monster who takes away all our children!”

“It’s Baba Yaga’s creation!” There were several men, a few with rifles and a few with knives. Anna was quick to move against the man with the rifle aimed towards her, not having enough time to react to the tall person with the mask. The other man seemed startled as his friend’s blood splattered against the cabin walls and was quick to raise his firearm. Anna threw her hatchet in the center of his chest before he could pull the trigger. Sasha stood at the end of the steps, amazed at how quickly the scene was playing before her and she watched as Anna grabbed the head of one the other men with one hand and placed her other hand around the man's throat. It was during this time a man entered the cabin from outside with another gun and before he could take aim Sasha was quick to throw the hatchet, successfully hitting her targets head. Anna turned around and tilted her head at the scene before smiling underneath the mask. Sasha felt such overwhelming fear that Anna would be hurt that she didn’t have to think about her action, if it was another life or Anna’s, she would choose Anna. Anna approached her slowly and tilted her chin up, Sasha felt tears almost well up in her eyes but another sound of glass breaking caught her attention.

The two of them stepped outside the cabin and saw at least five more gathered with torches, a Molotov’s wisps of fire were still visible on one of the wooden fences. “This village won't stand for such witchcraft any longer. Our fathers will hunt you down, and our children, and their children will hunt you down until the very last one of your kind are dead!”

Sasha growled, angry that these people make up stories of monsters instead of looking at the evil sins a man could commit. Sasha was fast to react alongside Anna as they threw their hatchets, two of the men fell into the snow, taking their last breath and the other three began to flee. Anna began to pursue but Sasha grabbed her arm, “It’s dark and too cold right now. They won't get far, let them be.”

Anna smiled and picked Sasha up and gave her a hug before resting her forehead against her own, “Must keep safe. Sasha protects home, I'll be home soon.”

Sasha couldn’t help that her mouth turned up in a smile and she kissed the woman's cheek and watched as she ran into the darkness. Sasha used a torch and dragged the bodies far away from the home. She took the bodies to the bonfire where she was once offered as a sacrifice. After dragging the bodies and placing them into the pile she lit the twigs and watched as the pile of brush grew into large flames and burned the remains. Upon returning home Sasha began to clean and rinse the blood from the cabin. She completed the task just as the sun began to arrive and she collapsed into the bed upstairs, knowing Anna would be home and safe soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys. One more chapter to go. Thank you guys for reading and leave a comment if you enjoy this.


	6. Chapter 6

Final Chapter!

When Sasha was a child, she enjoyed spending time with her younger brother and family. During winter they would play outside in the garden and build snowmen and make snow angels. Sasha’s favorite memories revolved around the change of foods and beverages. For dinner soups became more frequent and hot beverages such as tea. Her favorite time was when her mother requested the servants to bring out the samovar. The samovar was intricately designed, the silver pot was tall and inside this large teapot was a cylinder for coals or burning embers from a fire. Often a small piece of kindling was burned was placed in the middle cylinder of this pot and water surrounded this cylinder that allowed the water to boil. Once the lid was placed on top to trap the heat the teapot was placed on top to keep warm and the boiling water was used for the tea to steep in. The handles and edges of the samovar were made of gold. Sasha always felt like a true lady, like her mother's friends, when she was able to have a cup of tea with the family, brewed fresh. Sbiten was brewed with honey and several other spices that made it sweet and warm and it was always a reminder of the fun winters she had in her life. The aroma was pleasing to the senses as often pinecones were thrown into the mixture as kindling to boil the water.

Sasha let out a sigh and was pulled away from her thoughts and back into reality as she now gathered wood for the fireplace in the cold weather with snow. Days had turned to weeks with no sign of Anna’s return and as each day passed Sasha grew anxious. Sasha constantly questioned herself and her capabilities, but she never lost hope that Anna would return home. In Anna’s absence she had to create warmer layers and sewed together several pelts to make a coat. Her stitching on the coat looked horrible and she knew Anna would laugh at her. She would eventually have Anna’s adept level of stitching, where the stitching looked immaculate. During these weeks Sasha had protected the property against a few trespassers and easily scared them off. Her skills with the hatchet weren't perfect but she always hit her target. In the weeks before Sasha had made sure to scavenge as many plants as she could. Not only did she want to have herbal remedies on hand, but she often used these plants to consume with her broths. She discovered hunting was not her strongest area of expertise and decided to craft her own traps using the tools she had. She spent several days carving the sticks to make deadfall traps, useful against the small creatures of the forest and a few snare traps. She was proud of her ingenuity, and the harder she worked the easier these tasks became. 

Weeks turned to months and during those months she came up with more creative snares and traps. Her skills with drying and using hide became more efficient but still lacked perfection. When spring emerged Sasha felt another surge of hope of Anna’s return. She missed her mostly silent companion, and her absence was felt every morning she woke up alone. Sasha was aware that Anna lacked social skills but deep down, she knew the taller had to be lonely. If she saved other people it was through compassion, although the chains were not the correct method to help others. Sasha let out a sigh as she felt lighter wearing spring clothing. Her walks the stream always soothed her and she felt rejuvenated to the see the plants begin to blossom. Her plan was to hunt larger game in the spring, and she had been successful with a few does but based upon Anna’s supply of meat during last winter she needed more successful hunts. With these thoughts in the back of her mind Sasha made fish traps by binding and weaving branches and creating a basket. She would place these baskets in the water and keep it in place by weighing it down with rocks and if a fish happened to swim inside, there wasn’t enough room for it to get back out. Creating three of these primitive fish traps was time consuming but after a week of finding the right bait she became successful in her first catch.

When the warmth of summer spread through the forest Sasha had started to believe Anna was never returning. She was hanging onto a thin thread of hope that winter prevented her from returning home, but the thaw had finished for some time. Sasha’s focus in the summer was patching up the cabin and creating a garden. In the summer Sasha explored deeper into the woods and the surrounding area, becoming familiar with the land. People became brave in the summer and the few times Sasha came home to strangers they immediately tried to kill her. Those unfortunate souls who didn’t run for their lives were thrown into large bonfires placed far on the outskirts of property and closer to the villages so the villagers could find the charred remains of the bodies.

Months turned into a year and when the autumn season began Sasha began contemplating leaving the cabin. She had no clue where she would go, a large part of her wanted to find Anna or the remains of her body. She needed closure, she needed proof that Anna fell in battle, to sickness, injury, anything. Sasha was left with nothing but anger, how could she leave her like this? Could she survive the harsh winter and those weeks without the sun again? Did Anna have to always protect her? 

The first snowfall of the season Sasha stood outside on the balcony looking over the landscape and white snowflakes was slowly covering the terrain. Sasha closed her eyes as she felt the cold wind sweep past her body and when she opened them, she was startled at the figure standing twenty away from the front door. Sasha observed the tall figure wearing grey pelts and a large ram skull that had decorative markings. The figure had their forearms covered but the biceps were exposed and based on the muscle definition, she imagined this person could kill any man with their bare hands. Sasha watched as the figure removed the skull and her focus fell onto the long hair that was tousled from the wind and when she made eye contact with her, she smiled. An overwhelming warmth spread through her body and mind; she was home. She ran outside and into a strong warm embrace. Sasha rested her forehead against Anna’s as she held her up. “Welcome home Anna.” Sasha leaned forward and kissed Anna affectionately cupping her face with both of her hands and taking in the scent of the earth and forest that was uniquely Anna’s. Her lips were cold and partially chapped, and Anna seemed surprised by the gesture but hugged her closer and returned the soft kiss. Sasha closed her eyes and ran her hand through the long ebony locks and smiled,” I love you Anna.” 

Authors note: For all of those who read this, thank you so much! I am so happy to have finished this story. The origin of the idea for this story was inspired by the song “Natural” By imagine dragons. As usual a song inspired this very long story. This fanfic was originally going to be smut and a one shot and my brain spewed this out. Thanks again for reading and I'd love to hear your comments. I feel I rushed some bits, but it needed to come to an end, otherwise I could easily make this like seventy pages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some friends of mine said is should write more chapters about Anna's experiences but alas, I started on another story. However i'd love top hear your thoughts or ideas about, thank you again for reading, your comments mean the world to me. Otherwise if you liked this story and you love dinosaurs, perhaps my next story will excite you. Although its not a DBD but i've pondered writing a plague story.


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